NAGA CITY --- Penafrancia Basilica Rector Msgr. Romulo Vergara has made it clear that women have never been barred to join the annual Traslacion, the kick-off foot procession marked by the transfer of the image of the Virgin of Peñafrancia from the Basilica to the Naga City Metropolitan Cathedral.

        Traslacion came from the Spanish word ‘trasladar”, meaning to translate or to transfer. It starts the nine days of prayers that will culminate on the Virgin’s feast day on Sunday, September 21.

        On Saturday, September 20, the image will be brought back to her home, the Basilica Minore, through a fluvial procession along the Naga River whose riverbanks will be lined up with devotees to greet her with white handkerchiefs and candles while shouting in unison, “Viva la Virgen!”

        Vergara said only men had been seen carrying the image every time the procession was done because the “andas,” or the stand carrying the image, originally was too heavy for women that only men could carry it. But the practice had become practical until it became the tradition, according to him.

        He further said that while some [traditional] practices in the conduct of the procession had been retained, the local church always had adjusted them (the practices) with regards to the “needs of the times.”

        He particularly cited the change in the design of the “andas” carrying the image. Before, it was ornate but was later restructured to a rather bland and egg-shaped metallic stand to discourage attempts to climb up the image during processions.

Rowdy procession

        Vergara told Bicol Mail that over the years, the number of devotees of the Virgin of Peñafrancia had steadily climbed.

        He said this was one reason why the number of participants in the Traslacion had grown larger — and difficult to control, as a result.

        “Even the penitential procession which gives women the chance to carry the image also has shown signs of being disorderly.”

        Penitential processions had been done very early in the morning of the two days before the fluvial procession.

eviving the religious character

        Echoing the sentiment of the local church, Vergara is urging devotees to revive the religious character of the Traslacion.

        He said it had been noted in the past years that the procession was becoming a display of masculinity, and there have been instances when joining the procession was just a test of endurance and a rite of passage for many.

        “Traslacion is a show of love for Mary. It is a show of respect for her. Ultimately, [joining] the procession should be an expression of love for Christ,” he said while admitting that the local church also had shortcomings that contributed to the waning of the religious character of the procession.

Commercialized>

        Reacting to allegations that the local church also had been commercializing the festivities by installing booths and shops within the compounds of large churches in Naga City, Vergara said that the booths and shops [that sell merchandise from food and drinks to souvenir items] were installed to cater the needs of visiting devotees and pilgrims.

        “They are not profit-oriented, and whatever the local church gets from these booths and shops have been used to maintain the churches’ grounds and physical structures.”

        He admitted, however, that civic activities had been part of the festivities.

         “I am not totally against these activities as long as they are not tainting the religious character of the celebration. ‘Ina’ (the Virgin of Peñafrancia) has done so much to Naga City, and it is just proper to give what is due to her,” Vergara said.